“For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” -
Matthew 12:34
The Ohio
State Buckeyes beat Northwestern, 36-10, but personal fouls and
unsportsman-like conduct tainted the win. OSU’s coach John
Cooper made a point to his number 1 ranked team that there is no
place in football for trash talking and taunting, that it can be
a distraction more than a help. Guard Rob Murphy said, “He got
his point across.”
With all
the flags in the game, Cooper said that is something he wants
stopped. Again Murphy said, “I agree. We need to play more and
talk less.”
“You can
have a good, tough, hard-nosed football game without all that
stuff,” Cooper continued. “I think college football might want
to do more to prevent trash talking. It seems like we’re more
worried about a guy celebrating in the end zone after a
touchdown than with what else is going on.”
As a
Christian and an athlete is there a place, in sports, for trash
talking? I don’t think so, and agree with coach Cooper that it
is a distraction.
Jesus
said, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks”
(Matthew 12:34). Like Rob Murphy said, “ . . . play more and
talk less.” Play with the character that’s reflective of a heart
surrendered to the Lord. It is not our accomplishments that
influence others, but our character. Trash talking means we must
belittle our opponents to somehow build ourselves up as greater
and better than them. And that’s unsportsman-like and
unchristian.
- Is it
easy for you to trash-talk?
- If
so, why?
- How
do you think the Lord wants you to change that?
“Lord, I need help
with my mouth. Take total control of my heart. In Jesus name,
Amen.”
